Rochester man charged with cruelty for using pinch collar on his dog to be in court Monday

Saturday

Sep 8, 2012 at 3:15 AM

By Liz Markhlevskaya lmark@fosters.com

ROCHESTER — A local man charged with three counts of animal cruelty more than a month ago for an incident involving his dog will answer to the charges in court on Monday.

Bryon Melanson, 44, of 6 Pink St., who said he used to use a pinch collar on his black lab Brewski on a regular basis, was arrested after police found a wound in the back of the dog's neck on Aug. 1.

The dog was taken to an emergency veterinarian clinic in Newington that same day, and Melanson was arrested on Aug. 2.

The three charges allege Melanson negligently caused unnecessary suffering to the animal by allowing the pronged training collar to become embedded into the neck, causing infection; by using the collar to tether the dog outside for several days; and allowing the collar to become embedded, causing puncture wounds.

On Friday, Broadview Animal Hospital veterinarian Christine Davis said she saw the dog two days after his visit to the emergency clinic, and at the time, Brewski had superficial wounds, as well as a 2-centimeter-long wound that had punctured the skin, and there was no active infection.

"The dog was very happy and bouncing around," said Davis. "The treatment it was under seemed to be working."

The dog, said Melanson Friday, has lived with him for the past seven years, ever since Brewski was a puppy. He said the pinch collar was recommended to him after his mother-in-law was attempting to walk the dog and Brewski, who is "all muscle" and loves jumping and pulling, would begin to pull hard and drag the person walking him.

"He's had it for quite a while, and it never bothers him," said Melanson. "There's no whimpering, there's no (sign) whatsoever that it's hurting him."

Police Capt. Anthony Triano said the police report indicates the emergency veterinarian clinic personnel used bolt cutters to remove the collar from the dog, after a neighbor reported concern about the dog to police.

"The collar itself had pierced the skin ... the skin was actually rolled up around the collar," said Police Sgt. Patrick Emerson on Friday. "It (the collar) had been there for an extended amount of time."

Triano said pinch collars, while designed for training purposes, "are not meant for long-term usage."

According to Diane Manocchia, owner of Ellis Dog Training in Gonic, when properly used on a dog such as a black lab, the pinch collar should not be able to puncture the dog's skin, even if the dog has been wearing such collar for a long time.

Proper use of the pinch collar means positioning the collar in the middle of the dog's neck, and ensuring it's not too tight or too loose. Any collar, if not properly adjusted to the dog's neck, may become embedded, she said. Some collars also become embedded if a dog gets bigger over a period of time and the collar is not adjusted, or if the collar is too tight.

The neighbor who initially reported concern about the dog on Aug. 1 told officers on scene that the collar was embedded because it was too tight, according to a police press release.

But Melanson said Friday that he could put his palm between the collar and the front of the dog's neck before Brewski was taken to the emergency veterinarian clinic that same day.

According to Manocchia, pinch collars distribute the pressure from prongs evenly throughout the dog's neck, making it much less likely to damage the windpipe or trachea than a buckle or choke collar would when left on a dog for an extended period of time.

"To me pinch collars are more humane than the electric collars," she added.

Still, Manocchia said she does not recommend dog owners leave training equipment, including pinch collars, on their dogs on a regular basis.

She did not disagree with police's statement that pinch collars are designed for training purposes, and not for 24/7 use.

Manocchia said before using any training equipment, including pinch collars, it's best that dog owners consider factors such as the breed of the dog. While black labs have been bred to be less sensitive to pain, other dog breeds, such as greyhounds, have skin that is more sensitive.

Melanson, who is currently out on $2,500 personal recognizance bail, will be arraigned in Rochester Circuit Court on the three charges on Monday.

On Friday, Melanson said he does not plan on using a pinch collar on his dog any longer. Currently, Brewski is restrained with a harness.